How ‘Green’ is CEDIA Expo 2009?

More green electronics and education offered at this week's Expo.

This Green Exhibitor logo appears in the showfloor pocket maps, on exhibitor signage, and in the show directory to help CEDIA Expo 2009 attendees more easily find green products.

Sep
09

By Steven Castle
Filed in: News, Training, CEDIA
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09.09.2009 — Can a trade show focusing on home electronics be green? CEDIA is certainly trying.

CEDIA Expo 2009, being held this week in Atlanta, has made some green initiatives such as eliminating paper from educational course guides.

According to the organization, last year CEDIA saved more than 10,000 pounds of paper by reducing print quantities, 9,000 of which was saved by moving to a paperless format for the CEDIA University course participant guides.

CEDIA is again offering its participants a chance to offset their carbon emissions from travel by donating $5 to the CarbonFund.org. Last year's CEDIA member donations went towards CarbonFund.org's reforestation projects.

There are bound to be more green electronics at the Expo, and CEDIA will mark the signs of companies exhibiting green products with a green icon (see above) in the showfloor pocket map, exhibitor signage, and the show directory.

There are two green sessions available to participants. "Getting into Green: Understanding LEED and Green Building Programs" is a three-hour course held on Thursday morning with a detailed discussion of each green building program and where custom electronics installers can make a direct impact on projects.

A free, three-hour Thursday afternoon panel discussion on "How to Make Money and a Difference in the Green Building Industry" will discuss opportunities as well as the threats in green building. Participants from various backgrounds include architects, builders, and CEDIA member companies with extensive experience in this type of project.

For more information on the courses, go here.

Steven Castle

Steven Castle writes the green tech blog at electronichouse.com/green, and is the co-founder of Green Tech Advocates, a green technology information and marketing resource at www.green techadvocates.com.

Comments

Posted by Sabine Stochastic on 09/09 at 11:54 AM

People need to go green to generate less waste, not more waste. E-books generate an enormous footprint with all of the components that are involved in making them, not to mention the machinery used to make and develop the components. Its one evil for another that say’s its not evil. But later we will find out it is just as bad. The only way to truly go green is to not be using all this technology to distract and pervert us from nature. Everything else is just a marketing gimmick. 30%percent recycled, or Energy efficient. My A**. Green is Amish people, Green is Native Americans that ate the whole cow and did not use a factory. Green is sustainable rice farming in Asia. Not a convention that will generate large unknown amounts of kilowatt hours wasted only to show off the latest “toys”. Have Cedia in a park with no electricity and panel discussions, with Q&A;. If you really took a step, I think the market would notice and support your industry genuinely. OK, I am not out of touch with reality I know realistically that could never work with the sheer numbers and logistics you have to struggle with every year to pull this great convention off. I am just saying going green is like the newest and coolest way to be “patriotic” or, “mainstream”. I don’t buy it for one second. Nice try though!

Posted by Harald Steindl on 09/10 at 07:54 PM

CEDIA could indeed be more GREEN. Let’s start with adjusting the HVAC to comfortable levels within the EXPO halls. It is very hard to sit down with an exhibitor for a chat as freezingly cold air is falling down from the ceiling with tremendous air speeds making it a very uncomfortable place to be. So get your act together and start saving huge amounts of money.

Posted by Sabine Stochastic on 09/11 at 09:29 AM

1. HVAC controls.
2. Dim Lights?
3. Recycling cans? (Simple I know, but you would be surprised how many places don’t).
4. Offer cheaper registration, or priority for prime locations for the most green business.
5. Have a leave no trace policy at the show for businesses participating.( most outdoor people will admire this)
6. Most efficient, least footprint awards????( I like that one!!!)